Text from 4k master renders horribly as DVD

ddm wrote on 12/7/2025, 10:13 PM

I'm trying to finish a project that requires delivery on Bluray and DVD. I authored the bluray and dvd in DVD Architect 7. The Bluray looks great. I take that same authored project and change the properties to DVD and the end credits text looks bad in dvd architect and renders just as bad. The subtitles also look blocky with dvd properties but super sharp in bluray. I understand the resolution is vastly different but I would like to get the best result I can hope to get in standard def. I've been using the 4k master prores as the master movie file for both the bluray and dvd. I've tried rendering to a standard def h264 for just the dvd and that does look better in Architect. Does anyone have any tips on what file format I should prerender to, to get the best results, on crawling text specifically, to use in dvd architect?

I'm using the latest version of Vegas 23 with Windows 11.

Thanks.

Comments

Dexcon wrote on 12/7/2025, 10:59 PM

In DVDA's user manual (DVDA 6 in my case), the page titled "Rendering Files for DVD Architect Pro" lists the formats for rendering a DVD in DVDA:

AC-3 Audio (.ac3)

PCM Audio (.wav or .w64)

NTSC MPEG Video (.m2p, .mp2, .mpg, .mpeg, .mpv)

PAL MPEG Video (.m2p, .mp2, .mpg, .mpeg, .mpv)

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AVC (H.264) or MPEG-2 is listed for Blu-Ray.

Given that it seems that you're creating a DVD from an AVC (H.264) source, DVDA is no doubt heavily recompressing/re-rendering the AVC video to MPEG thus likely causing the blockiness etc.

Try rendering the video to MPEG in Vegas Pro keeping the file size within the recommended maximum bit rate as advised in the user manual in the abovementioned user manual page (clicking on the listed items opens up detailed information). Also, keep the final video size well within DVD size (4.7 GB for a single layer disc) taking into account the audio file size and menu sizes.

Unfortunately, I can't comment on DVD quality in the modern era as it would be much more than a decade since I've burned a DVD video - only BD for a long time.